Machine and method for forming watch crystals



. Nov. 17, 1936. SMALL 2,061,173

MACHINE AND METHOD FOR FORMING WATCH CRYSTALS Filed Jan. 24, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1 r INVENTOR.

' 7 BY W2 C vs A TTORNEYS.

I i I 85 NOV 17, 1936. A SMALL 2,061,173 I MACHINE AND METHOD FOR FORMING WATCH CRYSTALS Filed Jan. 24, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I w l4" |v.\4.

i5. 3o 9 W 8 1o 10 P INVENTOR. Qflfl fmfmw ATTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 17, 1936 UNITED STATES MACHINE AND METHOD FOR FORMING WATCH CRYSTALS Albert Small, New York, N. Y., assignor to Snapfit Round Crystal Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application January 24, 1935, Serial No. 3,365

3 Claims. (01. 33-28) My invention relates to a new and improved machine and method for cutting watch crystals.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a machine and method for making said crystals from a sheet of flexible and transparent material, such as celluloid, cellulose acetate and the like.

Another object of my invention is to provide a machine and method whereby said crystals can be cut to proper oversize from a sheet of flat and transparent material.

Another object of my invention is to provide a simple machine which can be conveniently used in order to cut .the crystal to proper oversize correspondingv to the size of the bezel in which the crystal is to be inserted.

Other objects of my invention will be set forth in the following description and drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment thereof, it being understood that the above statements of the objects of my invention are intended to generally explain the same without limiting it in any manner,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the improved machine.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of Fig. 1, being taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing the scoring or cutting member and the score or out which has been formed by said member.

,Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the blank after it has been scored or cut.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the completed crystal, inplanar form.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged top plan view, showing the mechanism for regulating the position of the scoring or cutting member. Fig. 7 also shows how the cutting or scoring member is first adjusted, in accordance with the size of the bezel in which the crystal is to be inserted.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7, showing the bezel removed, and also showing the final adjustment of the cutting or scoring member, in order to cut an oversize bezel from the blank.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view on the line 99 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 10 is a sectional view on the line |0l0 of Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a detail bottom plan view showing a portion of the device.

The machine is provided with a base I, having a standard 2 at one end thereof, and having a second standard 3 at one side thereof. The base I and the standards 2 and 3 can be made of a single casting. For convenience it may be stated that the standard 2 is at the front of the device. The standard 3 is intermediate the front and rear ends of the base I A swivel member 4 is turnably mounted in the standard 2, so that the swivel member 4 can be turned around a vertical axis. The swivel member 4 has a flange 4a which slidablyabuts the top of the standard 2.

As shown in Fig. 9, the swivel member 4 is also provided with a neck 5, which fits turnably and closely in a corresponding bore which is provided in the standard 2.

As shown in Fig. 9, the base I is provided with a depending flange 1 at its bottom.

A stop plate 8 is connected to the neck 5 by means of a screw 9 or any other suitable fastening means. The plate 8 turns in unison with the swivel member 4. The stop plate 8 may be additionally connected to the neck 5, by means of pins I 0.

The plate 8 can be forced out of contact with the pins It], by using any suitable tool, if it is necessary to take the device apart.

The pins 10 have a drive fit in recesses which i are provided in the neck 5. The bottom surface swivel 4, when said swivel 4 is turned so that the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1.

The stop pin ll may also limit the turning movement of the swivel 4, away from said position shown in Fig. 1, although this ordinarily is limited by other stop means which will be later described.

The swivel member 4 is cast integral with a lateral bearing member I4, which is open at a part of its top.

The top surface of the lateral member I4 is generally planar, save for the upwardly curved portion l5 thereof. The member I4 is hollow, and a part of its top surface is provided with a slot I6. Another part of said top surface is provided with a slot or opening H, which is wider than the slot l6.

An adjusting screw 18 is located within the lateral member l4. Said screw 18 has a pin P connected therewith, and said pin projects through the slot l6. Said pin P prevents the turning of the screw I8, 50- that, when said screw I8 is acted upon by a suitable nut member, said screw 18 is moved back and forth within the bore 22 of the lateral member l4, together with the pin P.

its own axis the screw I8 is moved back, and.

forth together with the pin P.

The nut member 20 has an 'externally -threadeda-' portion 20a, which fits within a corresponding bore of the transverse .member 14.. The. ex-

ternally threaded part 20wis' 's paced-from'the in: ternal wall of the adjacent part'of' the b'or the transverse member l4. The externa threaded member 2012 passesthrough-the inter nally threaded bore of a follower 30. ,A cutting or scoring tool 3| is adjustably clamped to' the follower 30 by means of a set screw 32.

of any suitable shape. In the preferred form of the device, said cutting orsc'oring end3'la has a planar top' face, as shown in Fig-10,. and the:

bottom of said cutting tool is of a general rounded or convex contour. The top surface of' said cutting or scoring point 3l'a', hastwo straight edges which are inclined to each other at an angle of about 1 I do not wish to be limited to :any.-.particular shape for'the cutting or scoringpointm J A bearing nut 33his provided with 'a neck 33a which is externally threaded. The external threading 33acooperates'with internal threading which is located attheinner-surface'of the. end wall I9, so that the nut 33 is-held firmly in position relative to said end wall I95 .The member 20 has a reduced neck 2llb which extends through-the internal hereof the Hencegthe member 33 serves nut member;33. as a bearing for the member. 20,-and.an"additional bearing is provided bythereducedend 2|.

A cap 34 is connected to the externalrneck'2'flb,

by means'of a removable 5111.35. Thebperating cap 34 is provided witha flange 34a, having'zlongitudinal markings 34b. The nut member 33 is provided with a single index marking 38, which cooperates with cap 34.

When the cap 34 28 is turned in unison therewith, thus causing the pin P and the cutting tool back and forth in unison. r

The pitch of the screw I8 is coarser-than'the pitch of the thread of the member 2llct,--sothat. the pin P' is moved through a. distance (which is twice as great as the distance through whichzthe cutting tool is moved. 4 a

The standard 3 is provided with a bearing in A which a:shaft 40 is located. :Saidsha'ftAU is integral with a head 4|, which is external to the bore or bearing in which the shaft-40. is located.

The head 4! is of greater diameter than-the shaft 48. The head 4! is also integral with a disc 42.

The operating handle, 43 is provided with a head 43a and said head has an internally-thread- A coil'spring 44 is located partially within a re- 'cess which isprovided-in -the outerend of the Fig; 7,

I have shown a conventional type of watch bezel 3 the index markings 34b..on the is turned; the 'nut member 3| to be moved.

spaced from the adjacent edge of the bearing 5 sleeve, in order to eliminate friction and to permit free turning of the shaft 40.

A nut 46 holds the head 43w assembled with the threaded member 40a. The spring 44 holds to prevent binding. The disc 42 is provided with "a'plurality of holding members 50, which are g the head 43a in the slightly spaced relation rela- 1'0 tive to the adjacent face of the sleeve 45, in order j s'crews 5L] Each said screw 5| is provided with a 15 "thumb-.riut 52, so that each said holding member y l 50 can be clamped into proper adjusted position. planar blank B made of the material which is-to be cut or scored, is held to one planar face 'of' the disc 42, by means of the holding members 0 50,-which partially overlap said blank B. The

As shown in Figs. '7 and 8, the'cut'ting member 3! has a cutting or scoring ehd3lawhich may be face'of the disc 42.

1 "In order to use the device, the swivel 4 is turned 25 until the parts occupy the position shown in Fig.

1. The watch-bezel W is then located upon the planar faceat the top of the transverse member '14; This face has a fixed pin Pa.

The watch bezel is placed so that the pin Paf 3O abuts a part of the inner rim of said watch bezel. The watch bezel is invertedwhen it is placed upon the planar face of the member l4, as shown in i 'asshown at 53.

The cap 34 is then turned so as to actuate the pin P,"until it snugly abuts the inner periphery of 4 the watch bezel W, as shown in Fig. 7. I

' Thedistancebetween the fixed pin Pa, and the adjustable pin P'should then correspond more or less accurately to the diameter of the'seat into which the crystal is to be inserted. An experil. enced operator. can do this with considerable ac curacy.

After this preliminary adjustment, the watch bezel W is removed, and the cap 34 is then turned so asfto increase the distance between the fixed pin Pa and the movable pin P. The extent or this additional turning can be determined by the scales which are provided by the index marking 38 and the scale markings 34b. The increase of the distance between the pins can ,be readily de-.v termined by an experienced operator and this de--- pends upon the amount of doming of the crystal when the same is inserted into the bezel.

- This adjustment also moves the cutter 3| to the proper position.

1 position shown in Fig. 2.

The transverse member l4is provided with a depending arm 60, and this cooperates with a plu- 5 rality of superposed stop members 6| which are the like which can be threaded into internally threaded bores of the lug (i2. Said stop members 6| are preferably provided with nuts 6H1. inorder to hold said threaded stop members 6| tightly in adjusted position.

sleeve bearing 45, in which the shaft 40 is l-ocat ed. The depending arm 60 thus abuts the ends of the stop members BI, which project beyond the nuts Sla.

When the tool 3| is in the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, its point am is pressed against the blank B.

The handle 43 is now operated to turn the disc 42, together with the blank B which is clamped firmly on the disc 42. The tool 3| thus forms a circular score line C, in the blank B. While this is being done the operator presses the handle 60 towards the stop members 6 I, with suitable force, so that the circular score line C is formed gradually while the disc 42 is turned a suitable number of revolutions. The tool does not cut through the blank B.

After the scoring operation has been completed to a suitable depth, the blank B is removed from the disc 42 and upon exerting suitable pressure the finished crystal 10 is separated from the blank B. The score line C extends almost completely through the blank B but the point 3la of the tool does not contact with the smooth planar surface of the disc 42.

As shown in Fig. 6, the crystal 1D has a tapered edge. This crystal is now inserted into the groove of the bezel and since the crystal is oversized, it is sprung into dome-shape as it is inserted. For this purpose I use well known tools which flex the crystals 10 temporarily into dome shape,- as the crystal is inserted into the bezel. When these tools are removed, the resilience of the bezel retains it in said dome shape and firmly seated in the seat of the bezel W.

As shown in Fig. 10, the member 3!] may be provided with a slit 80 at its bottom, and with additional slits 8!. These slits give suitable resilience to the corresponding part of the nut member 31). If desired, the depending shank of the nut member 30, having said slits, may have some frictional fit within the transverse member i l, in order to hold the member 30 in its adjusted position.

As shown in Fig. 10, the member 30 is provided with shoulders which slide upon the top edges of the member Hi.

It will be noted that the adjustment of the pin P corresponds to the full diameter of the seat of the bezel and that the adjustment of the cutting tool corresponds to a radius or to one-half of said diameter. For this reason the threads of the members 28a and I8 have their pitch in suitable relation for securing these difierential movements.

For convenience the pin P may be designated as a gauge pin. In the specific embodiment illustrated, the gauge pin and the cutter are simultaneously adjusted by the same means. However, the invention is not necessarily limited to this specific embodiment as I claim that it is novel to provide means whereby the adjustment of the cutting or scoring tool is controlled by the adjustment of the gauge pin.

I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, but it is clear that numerous changes and omissions can be made without departing from its spirit.

I claim:

1. A machine for forming a watch crystal comprising a blank-support and means for turning said support, said blank-support having means for clamping a blank of material thereon, a second supporting member which is turnably mounted relative to said blank-support, said second supporting member being adapted to support a bezel thereon, said second supporting member having gauge means which include an adjustable gauge pin, said second supporting member also having a tool which is located on an adjustable mount, said second supporting member also having means for actuating said mount and said adjustable gauge pin simultaneously, the point of said tool being exposed relative to said second support, so that said point can be forced against the blank which is held on said blank-support when the second supporting member is turned into proper position.

2. A machine for forming watch crystals comprising a base, a turnable disc mounted on said base, said disc having clamping means for clamping a blank thereto, a swivelled member turnably mounted on said base, said swivelled member having a longitudinal slot and a movable pin which projects through said slot, said swivelled member also having a fixed pin which is mounted on the same face thereof as said slot, a screw mounted within said swivelled member and. having said movable pin connected thereto, a nutmember located within said swivelled member, said nut-member having an internally threaded portion which cooperates with the thread of said screw so that the screw is moved back and forth when the nut-member is turned, means for actuating said nut-member, said nut-member having an externally threaded portion, a follower mounted on said externally threaded portion, and a tool connected to said follower and projecting beyond said swivelled member, the pitch of the externally threaded portion of the nutmember being half the pitch of said screw, said swivelled member being so positioned that it may be turned toward said turnable disc and bring the tool into engagement with the blank secured to said disc, the machine having stop means for limiting the turning movement of the swivelled member towards said turnable disc.

3. A machine for forming a watch crystal, said machine comprising a base, a blank-support turnably mounted on said base, a second supporting member which is turnably mounted on said base, said second supporting member being turnable around an axis which is perpendicular to the axis of said blank-support, said second supporting member being adapted to support a bezel thereon, said second supporting member also having gauge means which include an adjustable gauge pin, said second supporting member also having a tool which is located on an adjustable mount, said second supporting member also having means for simultaneously actuating said mount and said adjustable gauge pin at a predetermined ratio of movement, the point of said tool being exposed relative to said second support, so that said point can be forced against the blank which is held on said blank-support when the second supporting member is turned into proper position.

ALBERT SMALL. 

